Sharing Time - February Week 4

I've wanted to do this all month, but I haven't for two reasons. 

First, I never took the time to get all my thoughts together until the very, very end of each week. 

Second, I'm not really one of those originally creative people.  I am really good at finding what others have done and adding a little tweak (or combining a few into one whole new, like this lesson) and I wasn't sure that was worth posting. 

But I decided to go ahead.  So, keep in mind that my idea is not mine, just a slightly changed version of a few very creative and talented ladies. 

HUM

I'm going to follow pretty closely to the outline to introduce the week's topic (you can view a pdf of the whole year here).  I love singing and the kids really do, too (even though I sound fairly terrible, I think I'll have my counselors help out on this one).  I'll tell them that I'm going to hum a song and when they recognize it, I want them to stand up and hum along with me.  Then I'm going to ask them what they think today's lesson is about.  And we'll talk a little bit about last weeks lesson of being tested and how that ties into following the commandments.

RULES

Here I'm going to have a few kids (4-6 depending on how many kids are there) use some cute signs I found on Hatch Patch to write one of their family rules.  They'll be writing the rules incognito because once we get to this section, I'll have them and their signs (all mixed up) at the front of the room and the rest of the primary will get to guess which rule goes with which child.  When the primary guesses correctly, the child will say why this is a rule in their home and how it protects them.

I'm also going to talk just a little bit about how everyone has to follow rules if they want to stay safe and use a quote I found on Sofia's Primary Ideas by Joseph Smith that says, "I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it."

From here I'll talk about a hand out (but I won't actually hand it out until the end to prevent the paper rustling) and their next weeks challenge...

(Just as an aside, we're trying to give them ways to LIVE the gospel every week.  We learn in primary, but the real growth happens when they live the gospel and we want them to have those experiences.)

...which will be to complete the writing/coloring activity recommended in the outline (I found a cute one on Hatch Patch) by looking up scriptures and drawing a related picture and then bring it back the next Sunday.  I will also have them tell me a way they've followed one of the commandments they've read about when they show it to me.

ETERNAL LIFE
 Last, we're going to talk about eternal life.  On Sofia's Primary Ideas (a lot of this comes from here), she has you wrap the letters, randomly hand them out and then have the kids try to unscramble them.  One of my big goals in life is to simplify and so I'm skipping the wrapping step.

After unscrambling the letters (I'm just going to open up word and make each letter big enough for one page) we'll read D&C 14:7, "If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God."

Then we'll talk about what a promise is.  What it means when we make one compared to what it meas when God makes one.  Can Heavenly Father back out of a promise?

As an object lesson we'll tie two kids legs together three legged style and have then walk across the primary room.  When they're done I'll ask if it's possible that one can raise their leg and walk without the other.  No.  They are BOUND together.  We'll read D&C 82:10, "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."  Heavenly Father HAS to keep His promises, but only when we follow His rules. 

I'll end by bearing my testimony that following the commandments leads us to happiness ("Men are that they might have joy"), referencing their family rules and reminding them of my challenge for them this week.

Good luck with your week!!!